Folding platforms



March 10, 1959 J. M. FousT 2,877,053

FOLDING PLATFORMS 7 Filed Dec. 17, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY United States Patent FOLDING PLATFORMS James M. Foust, Centre Hall, Pa.

Application December 17, 1956, Serial No. 628,693

6 Claims. (Cl. 304-2) This application represents new and useful improvements in folding platforms.

This invention primarily is a support or platform for use by automobile mechanics, whereby, the mechanic can stand on the lower portion of the platform for ordinary automobiles and he can stand on the upper portion for working on truck engines.

It is well known that it is quite inconvenient to reach and stretch over the fender of an automobile, in order, to reach the low mounted engine and its parts without a platform or its equivalent means to stand on; while working on the engine and the associated parts thereof. In trucks the distance to stretch and reach is still greater than in ordinary automobiles.

Further objects of this invention and the details thereof will be set forth in connection with the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in vertical section taken on line 1--1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation of one end of the platform.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view in elevation showing the front section of the platform in folded condition.

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section intermediate the ends of the platform showing all the parts or portions of the platform in unfolded condition ready for use.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, showing one pivotal connection between the front and rear sections, plus a means for securing the tread stock or slab to the frameportions thereof.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view in section of a combined swivel and locking means for a leg of the upper supporting means.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view through one combined swivel and locking means taken on the line 77 of Fig. 8.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the lin 99 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view of a stop member foreshortened, and its connections with the front pivotal section, and the remainder of the platform, taken on the line 10-10 of Fig. 2.

It is to be noted that the frame, braces etc. are made of angle iron or steel stock material but it is to be assumed that other varieties of stock material could be used; such as tubular material, not shown.

This platform comprises a lower support 11 and an upper support 12. The lower support 11 comprises a front section 13 and a rear larger section 14, which may exist on a common level as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. The front section 13 has a pivotal connection with extensions 15 of the rear section 14 by pivots 16.

The front section is provided with legs 17 and trans verse braces 18 and longitudinal braces 19 to reinforce said section in connection with its legs 17. The front section 13 is also provided with long stop members 20. The length of the stop members 20 may be adjusted, as

to length, by the nut 21 in screw threaded engagement with one end of the member 20.

The stop members 20 relieve the pivotal connection between sections 13 and 14 of undue strain, furthermore, if the adjacent leg 22 does not touch the floor, because of unevenness of the floor surface, the stops 20, to some extent, serve to maintain the sections in a horizontal or substantially level condition. The stop 20 at its threaded end passes through a sleeve 22 which is swiveled to the frame portion 23 by a shank 24.

The supporting foot treads or slab stock are secured to the frame construction by bolts 24. These treads are preferably roughened, not shown.

It now appears to be clear that if the tread slabs were removed, the remainder would clearly represent a skeletonized frame having the non-pivotal parts welded together at their joints and or joining portions, welded at points 37.

The platform is provided with six supporting legs located below but secured to the lower supporting sections 13 and 14, respectively. The two rear legs 25 are extended upwardly to constitute supports for the rear portion of the upper support '12 which is pivoted on the upper end portions of the extensions by the pivot pins or bolts 26.

The rear legs 25 are provided with longitudinal braces 27 secured to said legs 25 and to the rear rail 28 of the lower support.

The front portion of the upper support is provided with supporting legs 29 pivoted at their upper ends in the transverse end rails 30 as clearly shown in Fig. 9. The lower end portion of each leg 29 is guided in a sleeve 31 pivotally mounted on the outer portion of the transverse rails 32 of the lower support. The sleeve 31 and its pivot 33 constitute a swivel. Both the leg 29 and the sleeve 31 are provided with transverse apertures to receive a locking pin 34 when said apertured portions are brought into alignment. The pin 34 is attached to the leg 29 by a surrounding ring and a flexible strand 35 which may comprise a small chain.

The legs 16' are spaced inwardly from the ends of the front section 13 so that the legs 16' can swing between the legs 22'.

In Figs. 9 and 10 the compression springs and the washers may be dispensed with as unnecessary elements and the pins 36 and 36 set close to the stock material of the frame construction.

It appears to be self-evident that suitable elements may be substituted as equivalents and such equivalent elements are to be considered as covered by applicants claims when viewed in the light of his disclosure in combination with the language of his claims.

Having fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a platform, comprising a lower support and an upper support, said lower support comprising a front section and a rear section, said front section being pivotally connected to the front portion of the rear section, said front section having stationary legs secured to its front portion, said rear section having two fixed legs on its front portion and two fixed legs on its rear portion, said stationary legs being spaced from the ends of the front section, whereby said stationary legs can swing between the front legs of the rear section when the front section is pivoted downwardly.

2. The construction set forth in claim 1, in which said upper support is provided, on the rear thereof, with stationary legs pivoted to the rear portion of said upper support, said upper support having pivotal legs on its front portion depending therefrom, in combination with cooperating locking means on said pivotal legs and on the front portion of the rear section, respectively, where by said pivotal legs may be locked in an upright supporting condition for said upper support.

3. In a platform for automobile mechanics, said platform comprising a lower support and an upper support, said lower-supportcomprising a'front sectionpivotally connected to a rear section thereof, saidsections being rectangular and of. equal length, said rear section having legs-fixed, respectively, to its corners, said front section having-legs fixed thereon in spaced relation, respectively, from its ends butalong and on its front portion, whereby said front section legs may pass between the adjacent legs of the rear sectionwhen the front section is pivoted downwardly.

4. The construction set forth in claim 3, in which said upper support is provided with stationary legs on the rear' thereof and pivotal legs on its front portion,- said upper support being pivotally connected -to the stationary legs, whereby said uppersupport may be pivoted downwardly to-and against said stationary legs, said pivotal legs and said lower support having cooperating means thereon whereby said pivotal legs may be locked in an upright supporting condition for said upper support.

5. The construction set forth in claim 3, in which said front pivotal section is provided with a pair of long stop thereby relieve the pivotal connection between the sections of undue strain.

6. The construction set forth in claim 3, in which said upper support is provided with stationary legs on its rear portion, and pivotal legs on its front portion, said upper support being pivotally connected to said stationary legs, whereby said upper support may be pivoted downwardly to and against said stationarylegs, said pivotal legs and said lower support having cooperating locking means, respectively, thereon whereby said pivotal legs may be locked in a fixed position, said-locking means comprising a sleeve pivotally mounted on the rear section on each end thereofieach sleeve'receiving and guiding the free end of its pivotalleg during pivotal movement of the upper support, each sleeve and each pivotal leg, respec tively, having an aperture therethrough, in combination with a locking pin for insertion through said apertures when brought into alignment, each locking pin being anchored to its pivotal leg'by a flexible element.

ReferencesCited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 49,319 Speaker July 4, 19.16 1,440,645 Sullivan Jan. 2, 1923 1,562,974 Laffold Nov. 24, 1925 1,715,118 Clark .May 28, 1929 1,719,004 Eos July ,2,.- 1929 1,930,955 Harbottle et-al. Oct. 17, 1933 1,937,886 .Grose Dec. 5, .1933 2,371,092 .Williams Mar. 16,-1945 2,547,699 Gelman Apr. 3, 1-951 

